Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade stood outside his station Wednesday and talked about what it was like to be stabbed in a random attack the day before.
"It was a very surreal experience — the scariest part was being trapped and restrained in the car," he said.
Denver police say the woman accused of stabbing Denver's top firefighter Tuesday afternoon had no connection to him.
Marlene Zacevich-Rodriguez, 42, allegedly pulled open the front passenger door of Tade's unmarked, city-owned SUV and stabbed him multiple times, according to a probable cause affidavit. Zacevich-Rodriguez then walked away from the attack with the knife still in her hand, witnesses told police.
Tade hopped out of the vehicle during the struggle, leaving the Ford Explorer slowly rolling down the street with no one inside.
Officers arrested Zacevich-Rodriguez even before paramedics began tending to Tade, according to radio traffic. She hadn't traveled far from the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard where the stabbing occurred.
Tade was taken to Denver Health in fair condition with wounds to his hand and leg. He was released from the hospital Tuesday evening and was back at work Wednesday.
Investigators say they do not believe Tade was targeted because of his job as fire chief or a public safety official, but that the attack was random and unprovoked.